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Las Vegas Sun political cartoonist Mike Smith has been a professional artist for more than 30 years. In addition to drawing a daily cartoon five days a week for the Sun, Smith is a syndicated cartoonist for King Features Syndicate. Approximately 270 newspapers nationwide distribute his work. He is also the author of StockcarToons, a weekly cartoon on NASCAR racing featuring his signature character Gearhead Gertie. He’s published three collections of NASCAR cartoon books, the latest was “Nuts for Racing.”
Mike Smith, cartoonist for Las Vegas Sun and King Features
How did you get into the line of work?
When I was a cartoonist for my college newspaper, I got a little help from an editor at the L.A. Times on how to approach newspapers for cartooning positions. One of the papers I contacted was the Las Vegas Sun and after receiving a call from former Nevada governor and Las Vegas Sun executive Mike O’Callaghan, the Sun began printing some of my work.
After graduation I worked pumping gas for National Car Rental at the Los Angeles International Airport. Eventually, I was so frustrated over not finding a fulltime cartooning position that I considered taking a position with another car rental company. I called Mike O’Callaghan and told him about the offer. I was hired by the Sun the next day.
There are many reasons I’ve worked at the Sun my entire career. One of the key reasons is that the paper’s political views are similar to my own.
Which other cartoonists have inspired you?
As a college student in Los Angeles I read the cartoons of L.A. Times cartoonist Paul Conrad. His work influenced me to pursue cartooning as a career. I once visited him in his newspaper office to get some feedback and advice on my work. He slowly looked over my sample of cartoons and said that if I ever wanted to get a job I had better learn how to draw. It was harsh advice, but it inspired me to get better at my craft. I don’t look at the work of other cartoonists now since I don’t want to be influenced by other artists’ ideas.
Is it true that cartoonists are loners?
Cartoonists are hermits by the nature of their jobs. We spend most of our day reading and brainstorming. These are solitary endeavors. And, of course, the process of drawing can only be done by one person holding a pen or brush.
What are some of the more controversial pieces you have drawn and why do you have a message about threats on your voice mail?
My voicemail message stating that threats will be archived is a reflection of the times. Reaction from readers has become more personal, threatening and angry in nature. I welcome reaction that makes a logical point, but I don’t want to listen to angry rants.
One of the most controversial cartoons of my career was about a major airline. For over 20 years I drew an editorial cartoon every Thursday for USA Today. A few months after a horrific crash of a jetliner, I drew a cartoon questioning the airline’s maintenance procedures. It resulted in a firestorm of criticism directed at USA Today, the Sun and myself. I received several thousand angry emails, letters and phone calls, some of which were encouraged by the airline. USA Today issued a statement about the cartoon, but did not apologize for publishing it and the airline attempted to retaliate against them.
What character or topic has been the most fun to draw? The most difficult?
U.S. presidents Bill Clinton and Donald Trump have been the most enjoyable characters to draw. All I need to do is get the hair right and the rest of the caricature will fall into place. President Barack Obama was the most difficult to draw.
What is a typical day?
My drawing process is a mix of old-school and the contemporary. I hand draw the cartoons and then scan them into a computer. I use Photoshop to do some cleanup of the art and to apply color. It is then emailed to King Features Syndicate in New York for distribution to other papers. I’m constantly playing around with different brushes and pens, but I’m currently using Tombow brush pens for most of the work.
Years ago my cartoons had to be finished by 3:30 pm for pickup by Federal Express. The cartoon arrived at the syndicate the next day where copies were made and mailed to clients. This process took three to four days. Today, once the cartoon is emailed to the syndicate it is available online to clients in 20 minutes.
How do you choose your topics?
I read everything I can get my hands on; it’s all online. Reading is the key to this job since it’s the catalyst for the creative process. Once my reading is complete, it’s just a matter of staring at that blank piece of paper until the ideas start to hit. For me, the pressure of the deadline is the greatest motivator. The closer I get to the deadline, the more creative my mind becomes. Once I have three to four ideas, I sketch them out and show them to editors in the newsroom for reaction which helps me decide which cartoon is the best one to complete.
It’s crucial that I stay away from coffee. It’s hard enough drawing a straight line so I’d hate to imagine what my art would look like with caffeinated hands. I start reading early in the morning looking for ideas that come from sources such as the Sun, New York Times, Washington Post and Politico.
Any fun stories up your sleeve?
Over the years I’ve found that most of my requests for original cartoons have come from Republican politicians. They seem to be better at laughing at themselves than Democrats. I once received a request for one of my cartoons, in the original, from former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and I was excited about the request until I later read a story mentioning that he hung all the cartoons he had collected in his office bathroom.
Lance Ito, the judge in the O.J. Simpson case, once requested an original cartoon. On the day he called I had drawn a cartoon for the Las Vegas Sun about the Pope. I mentioned to Mike O’Callaghan that I received a request from Judge Ito. Mike, in a half-joking voice, said he would be impressed when the Pope called and requested that same cartoon. Well, the following morning the Vatican called, also wanting an original of that same cartoon, to give to the Pope. It took me three days to convince Mike I wasn’t joking.
What’s it been like drawing cartoons during the Trump administration?
Drawing the Trump administration is a daily roller-coaster ride. It has completely changed the way I approach my work due to the rapid barrage of daily headlines triggered by this White House. Before President Trump I could settle on a topic, come up with my ideas and complete the cartoon. Now it’s often necessary to throw away my ideas the same day and start the creative process over because of breaking news. On some days the challenge is to come up with ideas that aren’t about this president.
